祭司的职务

24 下面是亚伦子孙的班次。亚伦的儿子是拿答、亚比户、以利亚撒、以他玛。 拿答和亚比户比父亲先死,而且没有留下儿子,因此以利亚撒和以他玛做了祭司。 在以利亚撒的子孙撒督和以他玛的子孙亚希米勒的协助下,大卫将亚伦的子孙分成班次,让他们各司其职。 以利亚撒的子孙中做首领的比以他玛的子孙中做首领的多,他们被分成班次,以利亚撒的子孙中有十六个族长,以他玛的子孙中有八个族长。 因为以利亚撒的子孙中和以他玛的子孙中都有人在圣所做首领事奉上帝,他们便用抽签的方法公平地分班,分别在以利亚撒和以他玛家族中抽签。 利未人拿坦业的儿子示玛雅是书记。他在君王、首领、撒督祭司、亚比亚他的儿子亚希米勒、众祭司和利未人的族长面前把抽出的名字记录下来。

第一签抽出来的是耶何雅立,第二签是耶大雅, 第三签是哈琳,第四签是梭琳, 第五签是玛基雅,第六签是米雅民, 10 第七签是哈歌斯,第八签是亚比雅, 11 第九签是耶书亚,第十签是示迦尼, 12 第十一签是以利亚实,第十二签是雅金, 13 第十三签是胡巴,第十四签是耶是比押, 14 第十五签是璧迦,第十六签是音麦, 15 第十七签是希悉,第十八签是哈辟悉, 16 第十九签是毗他希雅,第二十签是以西结, 17 第二十一签是雅斤,第二十二签是迦末, 18 第二十三签是第来雅,第二十四签是玛西亚。 19 他们照这班次,按以色列的上帝耶和华借他们的祖先亚伦所定的条例,在耶和华的殿里司职。

20 其他的利未人还有暗兰的后代书巴业,书巴业的后裔耶希底亚, 21 利哈比雅的长子伊示雅, 22 以斯哈的后代示罗摩,示罗摩的后代雅哈, 23 希伯仑的长子耶利雅、次子亚玛利亚、三子雅哈悉、四子耶加缅, 24 乌薛的后代米迦,米迦的后代沙密, 25 米迦的弟兄伊示雅,伊示雅的后代撒迦利雅, 26 米拉利的儿子抹利、姆示、雅西雅,雅西雅的儿子比挪, 27 米拉利的后代雅西雅的儿子比挪、朔含、撒刻、伊比利, 28 抹利的儿子以利亚撒——以利亚撒没有儿子, 29 基士的后代耶拉篾, 30 姆示的儿子末力、以得、耶利摩。这些按宗族都是利未人的后代。 31 他们也在大卫王、撒督、亚希米勒、众祭司和利未人的族长面前抽签,不分长幼,正如他们的亲族亚伦的后代所做的一样。

24 Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.

And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.

And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.

Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.

And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.

Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

11 The ninth to Jeshuah, the tenth to Shecaniah,

12 The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

13 The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

14 The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

15 The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,

16 The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,

17 The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,

18 The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.

19 These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the Lord, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

20 And the rest of the sons of Levi were these: Of the sons of Amram; Shubael: of the sons of Shubael; Jehdeiah.

21 Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.

22 Of the Izharites; Shelomoth: of the sons of Shelomoth; Jahath.

23 And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

24 Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah: of the sons of Michah; Shamir.

25 The brother of Michah was Isshiah: of the sons of Isshiah; Zechariah.

26 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi: the sons of Jaaziah; Beno.

27 The sons of Merari by Jaaziah; Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.

28 Of Mahli came Eleazar, who had no sons.

29 Concerning Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel.

30 The sons also of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites after the house of their fathers.

31 These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.

The Organization of the Priests

24 The divisions of Aaron’s descendants were as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu died before their father died, and neither had any children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests.

David, Eleazar’s descendant Zadok, and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech divided Aaron’s descendants into groups for service. Since Eleazar’s descendants had more men who were family heads than Ithamar’s descendants, they were divided so that Eleazar’s descendants had 16 family leaders and Ithamar’s descendants had 8 family leaders. Both groups were divided impartially by drawing lots so that there were officers for the holy place and officers for God among both Eleazar’s and Ithamar’s descendants. The scribe Shemaiah was a son of Nethanel and a descendant of Levi. Shemaiah recorded their names in the presence of the king, the princes, the priest Zadok, Ahimelech (son of Abiathar), and the family leaders of the priests and Levites. One family was chosen for Eleazar, another for Ithamar.

The first lot drawn was for Jehoiarib, the second for Jedaiah, the third for Harim, the fourth for Seorim, the fifth for Malchiah, the sixth for Mijamin, 10 the seventh for Hakkoz, the eighth for Abijah, 11 the ninth for Jeshua, the tenth for Shecaniah, 12 the eleventh for Eliashib, the twelfth for Jakim, 13 the thirteenth for Huppah, the fourteenth for Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth for Bilgah, the sixteenth for Immer, 15 the seventeenth for Hezir, the eighteenth for Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth for Pethahiah, the twentieth for Jehezkel, 17 the twenty-first for Jachin, the twenty-second for Gamul, 18 the twenty-third for Delaiah, the twenty-fourth for Maaziah. 19 These were their priestly groups when they went to serve at the Lord’s temple. Their ancestor Aaron made these rules for them, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

The Organization of the Levites

20 ⌞The following men were leaders⌟ for Levi’s descendants ⌞from Kohath⌟:

Jehdeiah (for Amram’s descendants through Shubael),

21 Isshiah (⌞for Amram’s descendants⌟ through Rehabiah),

22 Jahath (for Izhar’s descendants through Shelomoth),

23 Jeriah (for Hebron’s descendants [a]),

Amariah (the second ⌞of Hebron’s descendants⌟),

Jahaziel (the third ⌞of Hebron’s descendants⌟),

Jekameam (the fourth ⌞of Hebron’s descendants⌟),

24 Shamir (for Uzziel’s descendants through Micah),

25 and Zechariah (for ⌞Uzziel’s⌟ descendants through Micah’s brother Isshiah).

26 The following men were leaders from Levi’s descendants from Merari:

Mahli, Mushi, and Merari’s son Jaaziah,

27 Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri (for Merari’s descendants through his son Jaaziah),

28 Eleazar (who had no sons, for Mahli’s descendants),

29 Jerahmeel (for ⌞Mahli’s⌟ descendants through Kish),

30 Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth (for Mushi’s descendants).

These were Levi’s descendants according to their families. 31 They drew lots as their relatives, Aaron’s descendants, had done. They drew them in front of King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the families of the priests and Levites. The families of the oldest brother were treated the same way as those of the youngest.

Footnotes

  1. 24:23 Greek, 1 Chronicles 23:19; Masoretic Text lacks “for Hebron’s descendants.”